Pokemon: Origins
by Metal Mewtwo
Summary: Ash Ketchum faces his greatest challenge yet when a strange new Pokemon is found that leads to the discovery of just how Pokemon came to be....
1. Catching Up

Welcome to my story that might change the way you look at Pokemon. Hope you enjoy it.  
  
(Insert standard Pokemon disclaimers here)  
  
"Chapter 1: Catching Up"  
  
(Narration): Life: a mystery to one and all who share it. Oh, I'm sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Professor Samuel Oak. I'm a Pokémon Researcher. I have dedicated my life to studying the mysteries of Pokémon. The greatest mystery of all, the one all Pokémon Researchers hope to one- day answer, is the origins of Pokémon. Where did they come from? Some believe they evolved from simpler lifeforms here on Earth. Others believe they were placed on this planet by a higher power. Still others believe Pokémon arrived here from outer space. All theories are plausible and are being thoroughly studied. Still, you never know when one of life's greatest mysteries will present its answer to you when you least expect it. That is where our story begins....  
  
"It's coming," a voice echoed in the darkness. "It's coming..."  
  
"Ash Ketchum, wake up this second, you're going to be late for school!" Delia Ketchum shouted from the hallway, just outside her son's room. 17- year old Ash woke up slowly, still half-asleep.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu said, trying to encourage Ash to move faster.  
  
"I'm up, I'm up," he said, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the morning sunlight. "Man, what a weird dream."  
  
Ash got up out of his bed began to get dressed. Just as he was pulling his t-shirt over his head, the phone rang, surprising Ash and causing him to fall the the floor.  
  
"Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!" the videophone said.  
  
"I hate that phone," Ash said, climbing back to his feet to finish dressing. He turned on the audio function on the phone.  
  
"Hello?" he answered.  
  
"Yo Ash, you awake?" a female voice on the other end said.  
  
"Just barely," the groggy Ash said.  
  
"Where are you?" she asked. "Put the visual on!"  
  
"Just hold on a sec, I'm getting dressed."  
  
"Well, if you insist."  
  
Ash finished putting on his clothes and turned on the video. Misty's face came up on the screen.  
  
"Looking good, sweetie," Misty said. "I like the messy-hair look."  
  
"Thanks," Ash said sarcastically. "What do you want?"  
  
"Just wanted to let you know I'm coming down this afternoon to see you, after my gym battle this morning."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why?! Because I'm your girlfriend and I haven't seen you in months, that's why!"  
  
"Whoa, okay."  
  
"That's better. Brock says he wants to come down for the weekend as well, so I'm going to pick him up on the way."  
  
"Cool, I'll see you then."  
  
"Have a nice day at school. Bye!"  
  
The screen went blank as Misty hung up on her end. Ash proceeded to head downstairs for breakfast. He was greeted by a piece of toast being shoved into his face by his mom.  
  
"Here!" she said. "You're going to be late, get going!"  
  
"Okay, okay," Ash said, quickly eating the toast and heading out the door. "Bye mom, bye Pikachu!" Delia Ketchum and Pikachu waved bye to Ash as he set off towards school. He was getting pretty tired of going to school, actually. It was very boring compared to his previous years of Pokémon journeys and gym battles. But, a promise was a promise. His mom wanted him to finish school, so that's what he was going to do. Graduation wasn't too far off, so he figured he could take it.  
  
"Just a few more weeks," he said, and started to run off towards school. 


	2. Back in Action

"Chapter 2: Back in Action"  
  
"I'm home!" Ash said as he walked through the front door and threw his books to the floor. Pikachu jumped up into Ash's arms to greet his friend.  
  
"Hi honey," his mom said from the living room.  
  
"No time to talk, Mom. I'm going over to Professor Oak's house!"  
  
"Okay honey, be home before dinner."  
  
Ash barely heard her as he and Pikachu were already out the door and on the way to Professor Oak's lab. When Ash got there, he pressed the button for the doorbell. It rang, but no one answered.  
  
"Strange," he said, pressing it again. After no one answered again, he tried the door and found it was unlocked.  
  
"Hello?" he said, going in, wandering down the hallway that connected to the front door. "Anybody home?"  
  
"Pikachu?" Pikachu called as well. They both stopped when the heard a quiet rumbling.  
  
"What in the world was that?" Ash wondered aloud. He turned the right, the direction he thought he heard the noise come from, and suddenly saw a giant Pokémon running down the hallway right at him.  
  
"No, stop!" Ash shouted, but it was too late, as Meganium collided with him, knocking Ash to the ground.  
  
"I'm happy to see you too, Meganium," he said to his Pokémon, slowly getting back on his feet. "Where is everybody?"  
  
Meganium led Ash and Pikachu out to the backyard, where all of Ash's other Pokémon swarmed around to greet him.  
  
"Whoa, hey guys!" Ash exclaimed, giving all his Pokémon hugs. Ash looked up to see Professor Oak, the Professor's grandson, Gary Oak, and the Professor's assistant, Tracey Sketchit.  
  
"Your mother phoned ahead and told me you were coming," Professor Oak said. "I just had to let them out to see you."  
  
"Thanks, Professor," Ash said.  
  
"Hiya, Ash" Gary said.  
  
"Hey Gary!" Ash said, greeting his former rival. "How's the studying going? Still buried in Pokemon books, I assume."  
  
"Becoming a Pokémon Researcher isn't a piece of cake, but when you've got the world's greatest teacher as your own grandfather, it goes a little easier. Believe me, I'll be a professor in no time."  
  
"I figured as much. How are you, Tracey?"  
  
"I'm great Ash," Tracey said. "Good to see you and Pikachu are doing well."  
  
"Since your Pokémon are already here, care for a battle, Ash?" Gary asked.  
  
Ash's eyes lit up. He hadn't had an actual Pokémon battle in the longest time, and he was just dying for one.  
  
"You're on!" Ash said. "I may be a little rusty, but I still think I can take you."  
  
"We'll see about that," said Gary, confident as always. Ash looked over his Pokémon and thought about which one he should use against Gary.  
  
"I know," he said. "I choose Charizard!" Charizard gave a loud road and took its place beside Ash.  
  
"Think you can beat Charizard this time?" Ash asked.  
  
"Just watch me," Gary said, taking out a PokéBall. "I've got the perfect Pokémon for this battle. Go!"  
  
Gary threw the PokéBall before Ash, and a Ditto materialized out of it.  
  
"A Ditto?!" Ash exclaimed. "I never even knew you had one."  
  
"Surprise is a key element in Pokémon battles, Ashy. Let's see if your Charizard can handle a battle against itself. Ditto, Transform!"  
  
Ditto transformed its body into a mirror image of Ash's Charizard.  
  
"Make your move, Ash." Gary said.  
  
"You asked for it," Ash said. "Charizard, Flamethrower now!"  
  
Charizard sent a massive streak of flames at Ditto, but the copy Pokémon quickly took off into the air, avoiding the attack.  
  
"After it!" Ash ordered. Charizard blasted off into the sky and straight into Ditto, ramming it hard.  
  
"No copy is quicker than the original," Ash said.  
  
"Maybe so," Gary said, "but there are other ways to win besides speed. Ditto, Aerial Ace now!"  
  
Ditto zipped towards Charizard. Charizard braced for impact, but before anyone knew it, Ditto was gone.  
  
"Watch out!" Ash said, seeing Ditto appear behind Charizard. It was too late, though, as Ditto came out of nowhere and clipped Charizard with its wings. Charizard was sent spinning out of control and straight into the ground. Ditto landed a short distance away.  
  
"Get up, Charizard!" Ash shouted. Charizard rose to its feet and prepared to attack.  
  
"Let's match fire vs. fire, shall we Ash?" Gary suggested.  
  
"Fine with me," Ash replied. "Charizard, Fire Blast!"  
  
"Ditto, Fire Blast!"  
  
The two fire attacks met head-on, both burning with intense heat. Charizard tried to push its flames harder, but Ditto would not give in, matching Charizard's determination.  
  
"Plan B, Charizard," Ash said. Charizard stopped shooting its fire attack and leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding Ditto's oncoming attack. It then flew straight down towards Ditto, swooping behind it and grabbing it under the arms.  
  
"No!" Gary shouted.  
  
"Bet you didn't see that one coming," Ash laughed. "Finish it off with Aerial Submission!"  
  
Charizard flew straight up into the air, still holding onto Ditto who struggled to try and break free. Charizard began to spin rapidly. The spinning quickly left Ditto confused and unable to mount a counterattack. Quickly seizing the opportunity, Charizard flung its foe down to the ground, where it hit the earth hard, sending a cloud of dust into the air. When the dust settled, Ditto has reverted back to its original form, defeated.  
  
"Ditto can no longer battle," Tracey announced. "Ash and Charizard are the winners!"  
  
Gary recalled Ditto to its PokéBall and walked up to shake Ash's hand.  
  
"Guess you've still got it," Gary said.  
  
"You too," Ash complimented, shaking his hand. "Great battle." Ash suddenly sensed someone was watching him. He turned around to see Brock and Misty standing in the porch doorway.  
  
"About time you got here," Ash said. "How long were you standing there?"  
  
"Long enough to see you almost lose that battle," Misty teased, walking over to Ash and giving him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Hey Ash," Brock said. "Long time, no see."  
  
"I know," Ash said, shaking his friend's hand. "It's been some time since we've all been together like this."  
  
"KachuPi!" Pikachu exclaimed, jumping up into Misty's arms.  
  
"Hi Pikachu," Misty said, delighted to see the Pokemon. "How are you?"  
  
"We should probably head back to your place, Ash," Brock said. "Your mom told us to make sure you came back for dinner."  
  
"Figures," Ash said. His attention quickly shifted to Pikachu, as he noticed its ears were heightened, as if Pikachu sensed danger.  
  
"What is it, Pikachu?" he asked. Pikachu hopped out of Misty's grasp and quickly sped off towards another end of the Professor's yard, surprising everyone.  
  
"What's got into Pikachu?" Tracey wondered.  
  
"I don't know," Ash said, "but I think we better find out." They all ran off in the direction Pikachu headed off to. When they found Pikachu, they saw it starting down something. It was a strange Pokémon. A Pokémon none of them had ever seen before... 


	3. Who's That Pokemon?

"Chapter 3-Who's that Pokemon?"  
  
"What in the world is that thing?!" Ash exclaimed. Standing just a few in front of them was a bizarre-looking Pokémon. It was about two-feet tall, and Ash could make out that its body resembled that of a Voltorb's, except that he had never seen any Voltorb before that had hands or feet, or ears, or a tail for that matter. Taking another look, he realized that tail and those ears looked strangely similar to those of a Raichu.  
  
"I don't know what it is," Professor Oak said. "In all my years, I have never seen a Pokémon quite like that. Ash, I think you should catch it so we can study what this thing is."  
  
"Right," Ash said. "Pikachu should be able to handle this. Ready, Pikachu?"  
  
"PiPika!" Pikachu said, ready for battle. Ash's Pokémon took off and charged at it, but the strange Pokémon quickly jumped out of the way of Pikachu's attack.  
  
"It's fast!" Brock observed.  
  
"Yeah, and it looks pretty mean too," Misty commented.  
  
"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. Pikachu let loose a massive electric attack, striking the Pokémon directly, but it didn't seem to have much effect. The Pokémon then launched an electrical attack of its own, sending Pikachu soaring backwards.  
  
"That thing is way stronger than Pikachu," Gary said.  
  
"Well, if we can't overpower it, then we'll just have to outsmart it," said Ash. "Pikachu, use your agility, then double team it!"  
  
Pikachu quickly dashed back to take face the Pokémon and began to run circles around it. Many different Pikachu appeared around the Pokémon, moving around it faster and faster until Pikachu was nothing but a blur. The Pokémon began to get dizzy and disoriented by the spinning Pikachu, and began to fire off electric attacks in all direction in a blind attempt to hit Pikachu.  
  
"It's working," Brock said. "Now's your chance Ash!"  
  
"Here Ash," Gary said, handing him a spare PokéBall.  
  
"Thanks Gary," Ash said. "Let's hope this works."  
  
Ash watched as the Pokémon began to get too dizzy to stand and fell over, hitting its head hard on a rock. Ash threw the PokéBall, which bounced off the Pokémon before pulling it inside. The ball began to shake violently. They all watched intently, hoping that the mysterious Pokémon would not break free. After about half a minute, the PokéBall finally came to a rest. Ash breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the ball.  
  
"Gotcha," he said.  
  
"Come on," Professor Oak said. "Let's get it back to my lab for examination."  
  
***  
  
Professor Oak and the others gathered in an almost empty room within the Professor's lab.  
  
"Everyone stay alert," he said, preparing to release the Pokémon. "If it starts to attack, watch out and I'll try to recall it. Gary, stand by with your Pokémon, just in case."  
  
"No problem, Gramps," said Gary, holding out a PokéBall. Professor Oak released the Pokémon from its ball, and it materialized onto a table in front of them. They watched as it slowly came to, so far showing no signs of any violent tendencies  
  
"So far, so good," Tracey said.  
  
The Pokémon opened its eyes and stood up. It looked around the room, examining its surroundings.  
  
"Where am I?" it said.  
  
"It talked!" Brock exclaimed.  
  
"Who are you?" it asked.  
  
"Uh, I'm Ash," said Ash, still not quite believing his eyes or ears. "I think the real question is.who are you?"  
  
"My name is Raitorb, I think," it said. "I can't seem to remember much of anything."  
  
"I think hitting its head on that rock might have given it amnesia," Brock said. "What do you think, Professor?"  
  
"That's a good theory," Professor Oak said. "I think being in that PokéBall may have also pacified it."  
  
"Well, whoever you are, it's nice to meet you," Misty said. "I'm Misty. This is Brock, Tracey, Gary, and Professor Oak."  
  
"Nice to meet you, I guess," Raitorb said. "I'm really confused right now."  
  
"That's makes two of us," Ash said. As he further examined this odd Pokémon, he noticed something attached to its back.  
  
"What's this?" he wondered, taking the device off Raitorb. It was fairly small and round. It had some sort of view screen on it, and Ash could make out several clustered blinking dots on it.  
  
"Weird," he said. "What do you think it is, Professor?"  
  
"I'm not quite sure," Professor Oak said. "If I had to guess, I'd say it was some sort of tracking device. See, look."  
  
He pressed one of the buttons on it and the screen zoomed out, revealing what appeared to be a map of Kanto. The blinking dots were actually not far from Pallet Town.  
  
"I think out little friend here may have been looking for whatever these dots are," Professor Oak said. "I think you kids should investigate this."  
  
"Right," Ash said. "We'll get to the bottom of this mystery."  
  
"Count me in," Brock said.  
  
"Me too," chimed in Misty.  
  
"I'm going to stay here and help out Gramps with Raitorb," Gary said, "maybe see if we can't learn anything else about it."  
  
"I'll stay too," Tracey said. "Good luck, guys. Let us know what you find."  
  
"Okay then," Ash said, picking up Pikachu and putting it onto his shoulder. "Let my mom know we're going to be a little late for dinner."  
  
"Will do," Professor Oak said. "Good luck."  
  
"Let's go guys," Ash said.  
  
"Just like old times," said Misty.  
  
Ash nodded, and with that, he, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu set off in the direction of the mysterious blinking dots. 


	4. Revelations

"Chapter 4-Revelations"  
  
With the sky now a bright orange and the sun slowly setting in the Kanto sky, Ash, Misty, and Brock, along with Pikachu, continue to follow the mysterious tracking device they found on the newly-discovered Pokémon, Raitorb. Walking for several hours now, through the wooded forest, they finally near what they're looking for.  
  
"We're getting closer," Brock said. "It should be just up ahead."  
  
They pushed forward through the bushes, coming to a small clearing with a large building just ahead.  
  
"Whatever we're looking for, it's in there," Brock said. He knew this building, as did Ash and Misty. They'd been here before. Seeing the run- down headquarters of Team Rocket brought back bad memories for them all. Ash's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched just at the site of the building. Misty could sense what Ash was feeling inside.  
  
"It's okay," she said. "That was almost two years ago. Let it go."  
  
"Never," Ash said. "I'll never forgive that creep for what he did."  
  
"Come on, let's get this over with," Brock said before prying open the large front doors. Inside was almost total darkness.  
  
"Did you bring the flashlights, Brock?" Misty asked.  
  
"Yeah, here," said Brock, reaching into his pack and pulling out three flashlights, handing one to each of them. "Rule number 1: always come prepared." They switched on the lights and entered the Rocket's former base.  
  
"Where are the signals coming from?" Ash asked. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."  
  
Brock zoomed in on the tracker's screen, which brought up a map of the base.  
  
"I think they're coming from one of the lower levels," he said. "If we follow this hallway, it'll take us to a stairwell which should lead us to where we want to go."  
  
Ash remembered this hallway. Seemed like he remembered a lot of he base, even though he never saw much of it when he was last here. Everywhere in the building seemed haunting. He stopped in front of a large doorway, the doors blown off their hinges. Misty walked right into Ash.  
  
"Hey, watch it!" she said. "Keep moving, Ash. I don't want to get lost here."  
  
"Look," he said, shining his light into the large room. Faint sunlight was helping to illuminate the room, but it was fading fast. The sunlight was shinning in from a huge hole missing from the roof. The room was a Pokémon battle arena. The floor was littered with pieces of rubble from the collapsed roof. Ash shined his flashlight onto a rather large piece of debris. He remembered that particular spot vividly.  
  
"That was where--," Ash started, before being interrupted by Misty.  
  
"I know," she said, with a smile. "Let's keep moving."  
  
They hurried down the hallway to catch up to Brock, who had located the stairwell. They carefully crept down it to the third and final sub-floor. The room appeared to be some sort of office, but nothing out of the ordinary was here.  
  
"Well, we can't go lower," Ash said. "I don't see anything."  
  
"Not this room," Brock said. "The next room over."  
  
"But there's no doors," Misty said. "What next room?"  
  
"Here," Brock said, moving over to one of the walls. "There must be some sort of secret panel here, but I don't know how to open it."  
  
"Let me," Ash said. "Pikachu, Thundershock."  
  
Pikachu blasted its electrical attack at the wall, blowing open the panel and revealing a hidden passageway.  
  
"In we go," Brock said. They crept down the short hallway and into the next room, which was the darkest room they had encountered yet. Brock shined his light onto the walls, revealing what looked to be cages.  
  
"Looks like some sort of prison," Misty said.  
  
"Yeah, but a prison for what?" Ash asked.  
  
"Hey guys, check this out!" Brock exclaimed. Ash and Misty rushed over to where he was. Brock shined his flashlight deeper into one of the cages, revealing what was inside.  
  
"It's a Pokémon," Ash realized. "At least, that's what I think it is."  
  
Inside the cell was another bizarre-looking Pokémon that appeared to be some sort of cross between a Pikachu and a Charmander. It looked like it was deceased.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed.  
  
"My thoughts exactly," Misty said. "This is creepy."  
  
"Do you think this Pokémon is somehow related to Raitorb?" Ash asked.  
  
"I'd say that's a fair hypothesis," Brock said.  
  
"Look at them all!" Misty said, shining her light into some of the other cages, revealing more strange Pokémon inside of them. All of them appeared to be dead as well. They all looked like they were combinations of other Pokémon that they knew of. Others they weren't so sure about.  
  
"This is awful," said Ash. "What happened to them all?"  
  
"I don't know," Brock said. "They don't appeared to have been forcefully killed. Perhaps no one ever found them when the police cleared this place out."  
  
"Poor things," Misty said.  
  
"Raitorb must have been trying to find these Pokémon," Ash said. "But how did they get here? And just what are they?"  
  
"Do you think Team Rocket could have experimenting with these Pokémon?" asked Brock.  
  
"Wouldn't surprise me," Ash said. "It wouldn't be the first time they've created Pokémon with their sickening experiments."  
  
"Pikachu...," Pikachu said, feeling sorry for the deceased Pokémon.  
  
"Let's go," Brock said. "There's nothing more we can do here. It's getting late. We better get back to Pallet Town."  
  
"We need to get answers to this," Misty said.  
  
It pained Ash to admit it, but he knew there was only one person in the world that could shed some light on this situation.  
  
"I think I know where we can get some," Ash said, as they turned and left the room. 


	5. Nemesis

"Chapter 5-Nemesis"  
  
Giovanni sat alone in his cell, located in the Viridian City Maximum Security Prison, serving out another year of his 99-year sentence.  
  
"So, this is how the great Giovanni was destined to finish out his days," he said. "Locked away in this blasted prison, all thanks to that brat."  
  
Giovanni's train of thought was interrupted by one of the prison guards in front of his cell bars.  
  
"Giovanni, you've got visitors," he said, unlocking the cell.  
  
"Visitors?" Giovanni wondered. "Who in the world would come to see me?"  
  
The guard didn't bother to answer his question. He slipped the handcuffs on Giovanni and led him out of his cell and into the visitor's room. The guard shoved Giovanni into the room. Giovanni shook it off and took his seat in front of a large pane of glass. On the other side of the glass were Ash, Misty, and Brock.  
  
"Well, if it isn't the great Ash Ketchum, the boy who helped put me behind bars," Giovanni said. "My, you've certainly grown these past couple of years. Oh, and the loveable Misty is here too. I'm glad to see you in good health."  
  
Giovanni gave Misty an evil smirk that made Misty feel very uneasy. She didn't feel at all like speaking to him.  
  
"Can it," Ash said. "We didn't come here for a nice, pleasant chat."  
  
"Well then to what do I own this pleasure?" Giovanni asked.  
  
"We're here for answers," Brock said.  
  
"Answers to what?"  
  
"Show him, Brock," said Ash. Brock took out a PokéBall and stepped back, calling forth the Pokémon inside of it: Raitorb.  
  
"What an interesting Pokémon," Giovanni said. "Very interesting."  
  
"Have you seen it before?" Brock asked.  
  
"Can't say that I have," Giovanni said.  
  
"Well the dead Pokémon we found locked away in your base tell a different story," Ash stated. "They look pretty similar to this one, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"Perhaps," said Giovanni.  
  
"Start talking," Ash said, growing more impatient.  
  
"You're not going to get anywhere with that attitude," Giovanni said.  
  
"Please, mister," Raitorb said. "I need answers about who I am."  
  
"So, it can talk," said Giovanni, smirking. "Just like the others..."  
  
"Then you do know something," Brock said.  
  
"Yes, this Pokémon is probably related to the ones I had," Giovanni informed them.  
  
"What were those Pokémon in your base?" Brock asked. "Were they some sort of experiment?"  
  
"No. Those Pokémon, as well as your little friend here, are not of this world."  
  
"Not of this world?" Ash repeated.  
  
"Yes, I believe they came from outer space."  
  
"Are you serious?" Brock said, not quite believing that claim.  
  
"Quite. My men encountered them one day, saying they fell from the sky. They captured them and brought them back to me. My technicians were able to, how shall I put this....extract information out of them; very disturbing information."  
  
"What did you find out?" Brock asked.  
  
"It's coming."  
  
Ash zoned out of reality for a second, as if something pulled him out. He was trying to remember something, but he couldn't seem to. He quickly shook it off.  
  
"What's coming?" he asked.  
  
"It. I'm not quite sure what it is, but it was what created these strange Pokémon, and it's on its way here. Before I could investigate this further, well, let's just say you put a stop to that with your interference. One thing is for sure, though. Whatever it is, it's not very happy. I'd keep my eye out from now on if I were you."  
  
"I will," Ash said, staring down his old enemy.  
  
"Thanks for you help," Brock said. "Let's go, guys. I think that's about all we're going to get out of him for now."  
  
"Do come again," Giovanni chuckled. "That is, if we're still here."  
  
Ash ignored him as he helped Misty up and they and Brock left the room, to head back to Pallet Town and face whatever they future may hold. 


	6. Arrival

"Chapter 6-Arrival"  
  
Ash stared blankly out of a window in Professor Oak's laboratory into the midday sky. A couple months had gone by since they first discovered Raitorb, and they still didn't know anything more about it then they did then. The conversation with Giovanni raised more questions than it answered. Ash wondered just what was out there.  
  
"Hi Ash," Tracey said, walking up where he was standing.  
  
"Oh, hi Tracey," Ash said, a little uninterested.  
  
"What's wrong?" Tracey asked. "You seem a little distant."  
  
"Sorry, I was just wondering again what it all means. What Giovanni said, what Raitorb is, it's just not making any sense. There's something out there, Tracey. I just wish I knew what it was."  
  
"Well, if what Giovanni said was true, you might not want to know."  
  
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I guess some things we just weren't meant to know."  
  
Suddenly, something in the sky caught Ash's eye. It looked like a shooting star, though he never recalled seeing one in the daytime before.  
  
"Hey Tracey, what's that?" Ash asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," Tracey said. "Perhaps a meteorite?"  
  
"Could be. It looks pretty close. I've got a bad feeling about this."  
  
Ash watched as the streaking light grew in brightness and was coming closer and closer to the Earth. He and Tracey both looked on as it headed towards the horizon, appearing to hit the ground in the distance. They both were silent for a minute, not knowing what to make of it.  
  
"Did it land?" Tracey asked.  
  
Before Ash could answer, he felt the ground shake, almost like a small earthquake.  
  
"Does that answer your question?" Ash said.  
  
"Whoa, what was that!" Gary said, rushing into the room to see what was going on. Professor Oak soon followed.  
  
"Looks like a meteorite, a big one," Ash replied. "Landed off in the distance. What's in that direction?"  
  
"Mt. Moon," Professor Oak said. "It wouldn't be the first time a meteorite struck there."  
  
"Coincidence?" Tracey asked.  
  
"Possibly," said Ash. "I want to check this out. Call Misty and Brock, tell them to meet me at Mt. Moon as soon as possible."  
  
"No problem," Tracey said. "I'll come along too this time."  
  
"You're not going on another adventure without me either, Ashy," Gary said.  
  
"Where's Raitorb?" Ash asked.  
  
"In the back, with the other Pokémon" Gary said. "Why?"  
  
"I'm taking it with me. Come on, Pikachu."  
  
"Pikachu," Pikachu said, hopping up onto Ash's shoulder.  
  
***  
  
Ash, Pikachu, and Raitorb approached Mt. Moon, riding on the back of Ash's Charizard. Gary and Tracey rode on the back of Gary's Pidgeot. A cloud of dust was billowing up from where the object had collided with the ground.  
  
"I'm still not sure why you brought me with you," Raitorb said.  
  
"Neither am I," said Ash. "It's just a feeling. I can't explain it."  
  
Charizard and Pidgeot touched down on the ground near Misty and Brock, who had already made it there before them.  
  
"Looks like we beat the reporters," Ash said as he climbed off Charizard. "That's odd. Normally they'd be swarming a story like this."  
  
"This doesn't feel right," Misty said. "We couldn't have been the only ones to see this hit the Earth. Could we?"  
  
"I don't know," Brock said. "But I agree, something's not right here."  
  
"Let's check this thing out," Ash said. They headed up the face of the mountain to the spot where the impact occurred. Trees were flattened all around from the huge crash landing. They came to a clearing with no trees at all and a huge crater.  
  
"This is it," Ash said.  
  
A cloud of dust, floating around the crater, obstructed all view of what was inside.  
  
"Are we going to climb down?" Misty asked.  
  
"That won't be necessary," a voice said from inside the crater.  
  
"What in the world was that?" Brock said, suddenly very alarmed. They watched as a shadowy figure began to emerge from the impact crater.  
  
"It's here," Ash thought to himself. 


	7. Genesis

"Chapter 7-Genesis"  
  
"Who are you?" Ash called to the mystery figure in the shroud of dust. "What do you want?"  
  
The figure did not answer, only stood there, not moving.  
  
"Show yourself!" Ash demanded.  
  
"As you wish," it said. The shadowy figure moved out of the dust cloud, revealing itself. It stood about 7 feet tall, yellow in color. Ash was shocked at the site of it. He couldn't believe his eyes. He could swear that it looked remarkably similar to a Pikachu, only more human-like. It didn't have a tail, though. It was tall and slender, with long arms, carrying a large staff. It had a mouth and nose, but Ash couldn't make out any eyes. They seemed to be covered by a helmet that resembled a Pikachu's face.  
  
"What are you?" Ash asked, shaking. He felt a presence about this thing, almost evil. He couldn't be certain.  
  
"You may call me Alpha," the creature said.  
  
"Are you a Pokémon?" Gary asked, trying his best not to look afraid.  
  
"I am a Pokémon," he said. "But then again, I am not. I am every Pokémon, and then I am none."  
  
"This guy's really confusing," Brock said.  
  
"Well you look an awful lot like a Pikachu," Misty pointed out.  
  
"I have no physical form you could comprehend, human," said Alpha. "I have evolved far past the need for a physical body. I took this form to make things easier on your puny human minds."  
  
"One minute and already I don't like this guy," Gary said.  
  
"Why are you here?" Ash asked.  
  
"To reclaim what is mine," Alpha said.  
  
"And what would that be?" Tracey asked.  
  
"Allow me to start from the beginning," Alpha began to explain. "I, along with my brother Omega, have existed since the dawn of time. Over the first few billion years of our existences, we evolved slowly, gaining new powers over time. Soon I discovered I had the power to create life itself. However, I was unable to take life away. My brother possessed that power. A pity. I soon exercised my new powers by creating a race of creatures in my image. I called them Pokémon."  
  
"You created Pokémon?!" Brock exclaimed.  
  
"That is correct. I created many different kinds, all unique. I gave them terrific powers. Over time, I grew tired of the planet I, my brother, and the Pokémon shared. I sought to conquer other worlds, and I would use my Pokémon to do that. They were creatures built for destruction, and it was time to put them to use."  
  
"You created Pokémon to be tools of war?" Misty asked.  
  
"Yes, I did. It's rather good, isn't it?" Alpha laughed.  
  
"That's despicable!" Misty shouted back.  
  
"Well, to each their own. My brother once thought as you did. I secretly sent many of my Pokémon to the most vibrant, beautiful world in the galaxy. The world you call Earth. I sent them here to be the dominant species, to rule this planet. When my brother got word of this, he would have none of it. We fought a vicious battle, my brother and me. In doing so, our home planet, and all the Pokémon remaining on it, was destroyed. My brother finally got the better of me. He could have destroyed me, but instead punished me with a fate worse than death. He banished me to the far corners of the galaxy, locked away with no escape."  
  
"Well then how did you end up here?" Brock asked.  
  
"Fortunately for myself, after millions of years of capture, another civilization found me and freed me from my holdings. I soon sought to know what happened to the Pokémon I sent to this planet. I created a new group of Pokémon to investigate just that."  
  
"That must be what Raitorb was sent here for," Ash realized, looking at Raitorb.  
  
"When they reported back that Pokémon were not the dominant species on this planet, but instead were ruled by a race called humans, I grew angry. I then lost contact with them. And so I am here, to reclaim what is mine."  
  
"So I'm just a tool for evil?" Raitorb wondered to itself.  
  
"Ah, Raitorb," Alpha said. "I'm so glad you managed to survive. I don't know what happened to the others, but I'm thankful to see you here. You can still be of use to me."  
  
"Forget it, I'm no longer yours," Raitorb said in defiance. He was saddened that his purpose and creation had been revealed, and it was not to his liking. He knew he could never side again with Alpha. He wasn't like that anymore.  
  
"We shall see," a visibly angry Alpha said.  
  
"Well I hate to break it to you, pal," Ash said, "but Pokémon aren't going anywhere. We do not rule them, they are our friends, and we're not going to let you take them without a fight."  
  
"Pika-Pikachu!" Pikachu said, backing up Ash.  
  
"As you wish," Alpha said. "You will soon discover it is I who makes the rules."  
  
"So what are you going to do to us?" Gary said. "You can't kill us, you said it yourself."  
  
"True," Alpha chuckled, "but I never said I couldn't inflict severe punishment."  
  
"That's it!" the enraged Ash said. "I challenge you to a battle!"  
  
"Fool," said Alpha. "You can't win. I have the strength of all Pokémon within me. Besides, I would not create a Pokémon stronger than myself. Nothing you could use would be more powerful than I."  
  
"We'll see," Ash said. "Charizard, attack!"  
  
"Ash no, don't try it!" Misty pleaded.  
  
"Forget it," Ash said. "I'm not gonna let this thing push us around."  
  
Charizard flew straight at Alpha, but Alpha stopped it dead in its tracks by simply holding up his hand. Charizard just floated there, motionless. Pushing his hand forward, Alpha sent Charizard flying away several meters, slamming it hard into the ground.  
  
"Charizard!" Ash shouted.  
  
"Now do you believe my power?" Alpha asked.  
  
"That doesn't mean we're gonna give up," Gary said. "We'll find someway to defeat you."  
  
"I seriously doubt it," said Alpha. "The only other in this universe capable of challenging me is my brother, and I'm afraid he's long gone. This is now my world. I shall reclaim my Pokémon and turn them back to their original selves, my servants of evil. I think I'll start with your pitiful Pikachu."  
  
"No!" Ash shouted, but it was too late. Alpha casted a dark light upon Pikachu. Pikachu was unable to move.  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu shouted in vain. Strangely, its demeanor did not change at all. After a few more seconds, Alpha released it from his dark grip.  
  
"Curious," Alpha said. "My powers seem to have no effect on this one."  
  
"I bet trained Pokémon are unaffected by Alpha's powers," Tracey said.  
  
"See," Ash said, picking up Pikachu. "Pokémon were meant to be our friends, not your servants."  
  
"No matter," Alpha said. "There are plenty of wild Pokémon on this planet to do my bidding. I have other matters to attend you. I shall leave you now. However, I will return here at midday tomorrow. I suggest you show up. You humans shall have your day of reckoning for enslaving my creations."  
  
With that, Alpha ascended into the sky and they watched as it flew off towards the west. They all breathed a sigh of relief to have that tense situation over with, for now.  
  
"So now what do we do?" Brock wondered. "If we don't stop that thing, he'll amass an army of Pokémon. It's possible enough trained Pokémon could handle them, but we still wouldn't be able to lay a finger on Alpha."  
  
Misty noticed Ash was deep in thought.  
  
"Well Ash, what do you think?" she asked.  
  
"Alpha said no Pokémon he created was powerful enough to take him on," Ash pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, what's your point?" Gary asked.  
  
"I have an idea. I don't know if it'll work, but it's at least worth a shot. Let's go home and fill the Professor in. I think we might need his help to pull this off." 


	8. Allegiances

"Chapter 8-Allegiances"  
  
Alpha landed at the peak of Mt. Silver. He could sense they were converging on this point. He wasn't surprised that they sensed his return. Alpha wondered if they had switched sides as well. He figured they might have, but he was well prepared for that.  
  
"They should be here any second," Alpha said.  
  
The loud, shrill cry of a Pokémon echoed to the west of Alpha. He heard two distinct cries from the clouds almost directly above him.  
  
"Right on time," he said. He looked up to see a long, green dragon Pokémon and a rainbow-colored bird Pokémon descending from the sky. Incoming from the south was a large, silver-winged Pokémon, which rose higher into the sky to take its place besides the other two.  
  
"Ho-oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza," Alpha said. "Welcome, my generals."  
  
"Silence, Alpha," Rayquaza said. "We are no longer part of your army."  
  
"We are the protectors of this planet," Lugia spoke telepathically.  
  
"We shall not let your evil contaminate this peaceful world," Ho-oh said.  
  
"I see you've become soft-hearted just like all the other weak Pokémon I sent here," Alpha said, shaking his head in disappointment.  
  
"You're wrong," said Rayquaza. "We've learned there is more to life than fighting here. This is a beautiful planet, and we have chosen to live here in peace and protect all the other Pokémon who share this Earth."  
  
"We will defend this planet and all its inhabitants to the death," Lugia spoke.  
  
"There's no need for that," Alpha said. "I've come to you in peace, with an offer to return to your former positions. I suggest you accept."  
  
"Never," Ho-oh said.  
  
"You three always were the stubborn ones, always wanting to do things the hard way. Your choice."  
  
Alpha summoned three black spheres of dark energy above him. He launched them at the three Legendary Pokémon, but they quickly flew out of the way. Alpha rose into the air to meet them head-on. Lugia launched an Aero Blast attack at Alpha, but he simply deflected it away with his hand.  
  
"You're strong," Alpha said. "I should know, I did create you. But you are not stronger than I am. It's useless to resist."  
  
With lightning speed, Alpha teleported himself right behind Lugia, grabbing it violently by the neck.  
  
"Now let's see how tough you are," said Alpha wickedly as he dug his nails into Lugia's thick skin, infecting him with dark energy. Rayquaza flew right at Alpha in an attempt to save Lugia, but Alpha merely pointed his staff at Rayquaza and zapped it with a dose of more dark energy. Both Lugia and Rayquaza were now under Alpha's control.  
  
"Give up, Ho-oh," Alpha said. "Spare yourself the pain. Give in like your friends."  
  
"I will never again be your servant," Ho-oh said.  
  
"Wrong answer!" Alpha said, before disappearing. Ho-oh looked around frantically, wondering where Alpha went. He appeared overtop of Ho-oh, smashing the Legendary Bird in the head with his staff. Alpha then turned his staff on Ho-oh, giving it a large blast of dark energy. Ho-oh struggled to resist but it was impossible. It was now Alpha's. They all were.  
  
"Welcome back, my generals," Alpha said. "I've missed you ever so much."  
  
"How may we serve you?" all three Pokémon said in unison.  
  
"Patience, my friends," said Alpha, "Patience. There is a battle ahead. I can sense it. Those children are strong. Not strong enough, though. They will fall. We shall exact our revenge on them, and that traitor Raitorb, first thing tomorrow morning."  
  
"Yes, Master," they said.  
  
"Get some rest," Alpha ordered.  
  
"Understood," they said, descending to the ground to retire. Alpha himself descended to the peak of Mt. Silver, where he sat down and meditated.  
  
"Prepare yourself, humans," Alpha thought to himself. "Tomorrow, the Pokémon will rise up against you. Rise up against their oppressors. Tomorrow, destiny is at hand." 


	9. Guardian

"Chapter 9-Guardian"  
  
"What's a Mewtwo?" Professor Oak asked.  
  
"The most powerful Pokémon on Earth," Ash explained. "It was created by Giovanni many years ago."  
  
"And you think this Mewtwo can beat Alpha?" Tracey asked.  
  
"It's our best shot," Gary said. "I've faced this thing before. Giovanni used it against me in a gym battle. I know how strong it is."  
  
"Mewtwo is our only hope," Ash said. "Alpha said it himself. He didn't create any Pokémon more powerful than himself. So, I think we should give him the only Pokémon on the planet that wasn't created by him."  
  
"It might just work," Professor Oak said.  
  
"I agree," Misty said. "If not, we're no worse off."  
  
"But how are we going to find Mewtwo?" Brock wondered.  
  
"That's where I'm out of ideas," Ash said. "If only he could sense what I was thinking."  
  
"That's it!" Gary said. "Gramps, the Psy-link!"  
  
"The what-link?" Ash asked.  
  
"The Psy-link," Professor Oak said. "It's a little device Gary and I have been tinkering around with. Psychic Pokémon can naturally speak to each other telepathically. The Psy-link allows the Pokémon wearing it to increase the distance they can communicate to other Psychic Pokémon. It can even let a person transmit their thoughts from the Pokémon wearing it to the Pokémon receiving the message."  
  
"In theory," Gary said. "We've yet to test it out over great distances. For all we know, Mewtwo could be on the other side of the planet. It could be way too far out of range."  
  
"Well, no better time than the present to test it," Ash said. "Let's get this thing set-up."  
  
***  
  
Ten minutes later, Professor Oak had the device hooked-up to the head of Gary's Alakazam. He switched it on, and instructed Ash to place his hands on the device.  
  
"Just concentrate and project your thoughts to your target," the Professor explained.  
  
"Yeah, and make sure your head doesn't explode," Gary joked.  
  
"Gee, thanks Gary," Ash said. "Well, here goes nothing." He closed his eyes and concentrated hard, trying to locate Mewtwo, wherever he was.  
  
***  
  
Mewtwo sat atop the highest building in Crimson City. Over the years, he traveled from place to place, seeking out what this world had to offer, searching for his place in it. So far the answers had not yet come to him. His place in this world was no more clear to him than the day he was born. He sighed and continued to gaze at the setting sun.  
  
"Another beautiful sunset," Mewtwo thought. "But what does it all mean? I can appreciate the beauty of a relaxing sunset, but I can still not figure out my destiny."  
  
Mewtwo's thoughts were interrupted by a strange sensation from inside his head. It almost hurt, which was unusual, since even with all his psychic powers, he never got headaches.  
  
"What is this?" he said. His head throbbed like it never had before. Mewtwo closed his eyes, trying to focus in on this disturbance. In the darkness of his thoughts, he saw a lone, bright figure. It slowly walked towards him.  
  
"Mewtwo," he said. "We need your help. The world is in great trouble, as are all the Pokémon in it. You're the only one who can save them. They need your help. I need you help."  
  
The figured faded away into the darkness. Mewtwo opened his eyes and realized who the figure was, and he knew what he needed to do.  
  
"Could this be the sign I've been searching for?" he wondered. He had to take the chance and find out. "I'm coming."  
  
***  
  
"Did it work?" Tracey asked.  
  
"I don't know," said Ash. "The blasted thing overloaded. I think I found him. He was in a city, not all that far away."  
  
"Did he get your message?" Misty asked.  
  
Before Ash could answer, there was a bright flash of light in the Professor's laboratory. When they opened their eyes, they saw the tall, imposing figure of Mewtwo standing before them.  
  
"You called," he said. 


	10. Calm Before the Storm

"Chapter 10-Calm Before the Storm"  
  
Ash watched the early morning sun rose from the east through the front windows of his house. He hadn't slept at all during the night. How could he? After all, today was the day the fate of the entire world, and everyone and everything in it, would be decided. It tore him up inside, not knowing what Alpha had planned. He just hoped Mewtwo could handle it. It was tough enough convincing him to help a bunch of humans. He still didn't know why Mewtwo agreed. I guess he had his reasons.  
  
"You're up pretty early," Misty said, catching Ash a little off guard.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right," he said. "I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Me either," said Misty. "Kinda hard to sleep with all that lies ahead of us today."  
  
"I know. What if we can't do it, Misty? What if we fail?"  
  
"We won't, Ash, because we can't. We've been through tougher scrapes than this."  
  
"Actually we haven't."  
  
"Well you know what I mean."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I'm going to try and get a little sleep," Misty said, giving Ash a kiss. "Hope you do to."  
  
"I doubt it," he said, and continued to stare out the window. The early morning sunlight was quickly being replaced with storm clouds. Ash thought that seemed kind of appropriate.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning came, and everyone gathered at Ash's place.  
  
"Good luck, kids," Professor Oak said.  
  
"Thanks, Grandpa," Gary said, giving his grandfather a hug. Ash's mom started to cry.  
  
"What's wrong, Mom?" Ash asked.  
  
"It's just I may never see you again," she sobbed. "My little boy."  
  
"Mom, it's okay, we're not going to lose. I promise."  
  
"I know, Ash. Just take care of yourself."  
  
"I will," he said, hugging his mom.  
  
"Are you ready?" Mewtwo said.  
  
"Ready," they all replied.  
  
"Let's go then." Mewtwo concentrated, and in a bright flash, Mewtwo had teleported them away.  
  
"I'm sure they'll be fine," Professor Oak said.  
  
"I know," Delia said, wiping away a tear from her eye and smiling. "I'm counting on it."  
  
*****  
  
Mewtwo teleported himself, Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey, Gary, Pikachu, and Raitorb to the base of Mt. Moon. They were early; there was still no sign of Alpha. They looked up ahead and saw that a Pokémon battle floor had been constructed into the ground.  
  
"I don't like the looks of this," Gary said.  
  
"I say bring him on," Ash said. "We're ready for a fight."  
  
"Pika-Pikachu," Pikachu agreed.  
  
"Be careful what you wish for," a voice from behind them said. They all spun around to see Alpha floating in the air there. "You just might get it."  
  
"You're the one who's gonna get it," Gary said.  
  
"From what, that thing?" Alpha asked, pointing at Mewtwo. "What is that thing?"  
  
"I am Mewtwo," said Mewtwo.  
  
"Funny, I don't remember ever creating a Mew-two," Alpha said.  
  
"That's because you didn't," Mewtwo said. "I am a property of human creation. For years I have searched for my purpose in this world. Now you are here, and it has become clear. I am the only one who can do this. I will not let you harm this planet or any of its inhabitants. I am this planet's strongest defender. I will not let you win."  
  
"Brave words, Mewtwo. There were a few other Pokémon who shared your viewpoint. Allow me to introduce them to you. Rise, my gererals!"  
  
Ho-oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza rose from the trees behind Alpha and took their places beside their master. Everyone was in awestruck of the Pokémon.  
  
"No way!" Gary exclaimed.  
  
"As you can see, my friend, "Alpha continued, "these three are completely under my control. I can sense you are strong, Mewtwo. However, you cannot defeat three Legendary Pokemon at once."  
  
"We shall see," Mewtwo said.  
  
"Then take your place in the arena, and let the battle begin!" 


	11. Showdown

"Chapter 11-Showdown"  
  
Mewtwo took his place at one end of the battle arena and the three Legendary Pokémon, Ho-oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza, took their spots at the other end. Everyone else gathered along the sides of the floor to watch.  
  
"This will be a 1 vs. 3 Pokémon battle," Alpha announced. "Mewtwo vs. my three generals. Since I'm in a generous mood today, I'll cut you humans a deal. If your defender, Mewtwo, is somehow able to win, I will leave this planet, never to return."  
  
"And if I lose?" Mewtwo asked.  
  
"Well, let's just say this planet will be in for some major changes."  
  
Ash knew this was their one and only chance. Mewtwo had to win, for everyone's sake.  
  
"Pokémon ready?" Alpha asked. "Let the battle commence."  
  
Mewtwo floated up into the air, motioning for the others to join him for an aerial showdown. He knew they were all flying Pokémon, but he felt he could navigate the air just as well as them.  
  
"Let's do this, boys," Mewtwo said.  
  
Ho-oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza immediately flew right at Mewtwo, who quickly teleported out of the way. The three Pokémon quickly turned around to find Mewtwo. When he reappeared, Ho-oh launched a blaze of fire at Mewtwo. Mewtwo raised a shield to block the attack. When he dropped it to attack, he was quickly rammed into by Lugia, an attack which sent him spinning. Before he even had time to recover, Rayquaza smashed into him as well, sending Mewtwo flying towards the ground. Alpha chuckled watching this impressive display from his Pokémon. Just before crashing Mewtwo, regained his composure and rose back into the air to fight again.  
  
"You're good," Mewtwo said, "but I can't lose. I won't lose."  
  
Mewtwo fired his Shadow Ball attack at each one, striking the Legendary Pokémon dead-on. They reeled back in pain as Mewtwo charged at them. He held up his hand, moving Rayquaza around like a ragdoll. Before he could make his move, he was blindsided by a sneak attack from Lugia. Mewtwo shook it off just in time to see Ho-oh's Fire Blast coming straight for him. He spun out the way and saw Rayquaza coming back from his left. He dodged but was clipped by Ho-oh's wings.  
  
"This isn't good," Brock said. "I don't think Mewtwo can handle all three of them at the same time."  
  
All three Pokémon were attacking Mewtwo from all sides. He kept firing Shadow Balls at them, hurting the Legendary Pokémon, but they just kept coming. Mewtwo regained his concentration. They seemed more powerful than he expected. Perhaps being turned dark made them stronger, he thought. He knew he was better than this, though. Focussing, he channeled all the psychic energy he could find around him, forming a massive wall of psy energy. Ho-oh, Lugia, and Rayquaza tried ramming the psychic shield but were unable to penetrate it.  
  
"Feel my power," Mewtwo shouted, unleashing a massive psychic attack on all three Pokémon. There was no where to run as the energy leveled each of them, causing them to fall into the trees below. Mewtwo breathed heavily, exhausted from using such a powerful attack.  
  
"Blast!" Alpha said, before quickly coming up with a new plan. "Time to raise the stakes a little."  
  
He lifted his hand, causing Raitorb to float in the air.  
  
"What's going on?!" the alarmed Raitorb yelled.  
  
"Come here!" Alpha shouted, pulling his former creation towards him, catching Raitorb in his hand.  
  
"Hey, you said if Mewtwo won then you'd leave!" Misty shouted.  
  
"I'm altering the deal," said Alpha. "I can do that, you know."  
  
"Release that Pokémon," Mewtwo ordered.  
  
"If you want him, come and get him!" Alpha yelled to Mewtwo.  
  
Mewtwo flew towards Alpha at lightning speed. Just before Mewtwo could grab Alpha, he jumped up into the air above where Mewtwo landed.  
  
"You missed," Alpha said, obviously amused.  
  
Mewtwo fired a Shadow Ball straight up at Alpha, but he disappeared before the attack could reach him.  
  
"Where did he go?" Mewtwo said, floating up into the air to look for him. Without warning, Alpha appeared behind Mewtwo, and with one blow knocked him hard to the earth.  
  
"Too slow," Alpha said, tossing Raitorb up and down as he landed on the ground in front of Mewtwo.  
  
"Put me down!" Raitorb demanded.  
  
"Quiet, traitor," said Alpha.  
  
"I'm getting Raitorb back," Ash said.  
  
"No, don't do it Ash," Misty pleaded. "You'll just get hurt."  
  
"Hey, look on the bright side; at least he can't kill me," said Ash as he raced towards Alpha.  
  
"The more things change, the more they stay the same," Brock said.  
  
"Oh yeah," Misty added.  
  
"Now, what should I do with you?" Alpha said, continuing to toss around Raitorb.  
  
"You'll let him go!" Ash shouted, throwing his body into Alpha. The force of Ash's attack sent Raitorb flying out of Alpha's hands. Alpha, not very impressed, got back to his feet and stood directly in front of him. Ash was visibly terrified, realizing what he had just done. Alpha grabbed Ash by the throat and lifted him up to Alpha's eye level.  
  
"That was your final mistake," Alpha said.  
  
"Put the boy down," Mewtwo said. Alpha turned around to see Mewtwo's fist colliding with his face. Ash took a tumble to the ground as he was released from Alpha's grip.  
  
"Are you okay?" Mewtwo asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Ash said. "I owe you one."  
  
"Believe me, we're equal," Mewtwo said. Ash smiled until he saw Alpha just behind Mewtwo.  
  
"Look out!" Ash shouted. Mewtwo spun around, and just as he did, Alpha hit him across the face with his staff, sending Mewtwo flying backwards. Before he could get back up, Alpha put his foot down on Mewtwo's neck.  
  
"It ends now," Alpha said, before stabbing Mewtwo in the back with his staff. Mewtwo felt unimaginable pain throughout his entire body as Alpha began to send a massive energy attack through his staff into Mewtwo. Mewtwo felt as if his body was being burned, frozen, electrocuted, you name it. It was as if the attack was every Pokémon's attacks in one, and it hurt. Mewtwo could barely stand the pain. After a few more seconds, Alpha let up, seeing that Mewtwo was obviously defeated. Ash looked on with disbelief. Misty, Brock, Gary, and Tracey felt the same way.  
  
"No," Ash said.  
  
Alpha removed his staff from Mewtwo's back and rose into the air over his beaten opponent, laughing maniacally. Ash wondered if this was really the end. It was sure looking like it to him. He knew they would need a miracle now to beat Alpha. 


	12. Brother, My Brother

"Chapter 12-Brother, My Brother"  
  
Kurt sat down on his couch after finishing dinner. He stared at the GS Ball sitting on the middle of his coffee table. It now served as more of a conversation piece than an enigma. He picked it up and looked it over. The famous PokéBall creator of Azalea Town had spent years studying the ball, hoping to uncover what its purpose was. Failure after failure eventually left him frustrated to the point where he finally gave up all hope of revealing its secrets. Still, he often wondered just where this thing came from, and what its purpose was.  
  
"I guess there are some mysteries man was not meant to solve," he said, placing the ball back on the table. He picked up the paper and began to read it. A few minutes later, he could have sworn he heard a noise from inside the room, but he couldn't tell where it as coming from. He looked overtop his paper and noticed the GS Ball was moving back and forth.  
  
"What in the world?!" he exclaimed. He watched in awe as the ball began to glow and rise into the air. Slowly the GS Ball began to open itself.  
  
"I don't understand!" the bewildered Kurt said. "What's happening?"  
  
The ball completely opened up and continued to float there above Kurt's coffee table. Suddenly, a streak of bright light shot out of the ball, knocking Kurt over as it flew past him and right out the window. The GS Ball stopped glowing and dropped to the ground. Kurt got back on his feet and picked up the ball. There was nothing inside. It was completely empty.  
  
"Well, that was unexpected," Kurt said. "I wish I knew what was in there, though." Kurt walked over to the broken window where the light had escaped, but there was no sign of it outside. Whatever it was, it was gone.  
  
*****  
  
Ash rushed to the side of the beaten Mewtwo. He was hurt, but not badly. After all, his injures couldn't be life threatening. Alpha was bound never to kill. He was more drained of energy than anything else. It left him weak and unable to move.  
  
"Are you okay?" Ash asked.  
  
"I'll be fine," Mewtwo weakly said. "I'm sorry, Ash. I've failed."  
  
"No, it's not your fault. You did all you could."  
  
"I'm sorry." Mewtwo said.  
  
Ash stood up and stared down Alpha. He was visibly angry, more so than he had ever been in his entire life.  
  
"You won't get away with this, Alpha," he said. "We will fight you to the last."  
  
"This is your last, I'm afraid," Alpha chuckled. "Your defender is beaten. It's over. I win. And now, I will infect every last wild Pokémon on this planet. They shall become mine again, and I will use them to destroy you pathetic humans and your traitor Pokémon."  
  
Ash wanted to just rush up and attack him. Hurt him badly. Do whatever he could to stop this, but he knew he wasn't strong enough. He knew it was over. They'd lost.  
  
"This can't be happening," he thought to himself, starting to tear up. "It can't."  
  
"Pikachu," Pikachu said, trying to console him. Ash picked up his Pokémon, the very first one he ever made friends with, and gave Pikachu a hug. Misty walked over and held his hand.  
  
"I won't let anything happen to either of you," he said. "I love you both."  
  
"Enough," Alpha said, tiring of their human sentiment. "Enjoy your last moments of freedom. This world now belongs to me."  
  
"Not so fast!" a voice shouted from above. They all looked up to see a light shining in the air above them.  
  
"What is that?" Misty asked.  
  
The light slowly descended in front of Alpha. It began to slowly materialize into a physical form. Now standing before them all was a creature, which resembled Alpha, only instead of being Pikachu in appearance, it looked more like a Mew. Even in this form, Alpha recognized who it was.  
  
"Hello, brother," Alpha said.  
  
"Hello, Alpha," Omega said, greeting his brother who he had not seen in over 2 million years.  
  
"Omega!" the stunned Ash said.  
  
"I thought he no longer existed," Tracey said, remembering what Alpha had mentioned before.  
  
"My brother's lies, I assure you," explained Omega. "I have existed on this planet for millions of years. After sealing my brother away, I came to this planet to destroy my brother's evil creations. When I arrived, I saw that the Pokémon were living in peace here. I could not destroy them. Rather, I decided the right thing to do would be to protect them. I encased myself in a special device, to awaken only if this planet would ever be threatened by his evil again."  
  
"Special device?" Ash asked.  
  
"Yes, you might be familiar with it Ash; the GS Ball."  
  
"The GS Ball?!" Brock exclaimed. "No way!"  
  
"Who'd of thought one of the universe's most powerful beings was hidden inside the GS Ball when he first encountered it at Professor Ivy's," said Ash.  
  
"Uh, Ash," Misty said, pointing to Brock, who was huddled down on the ground.  
  
"That name..," he said.  
  
"Oh, right," Ash said, slapping his forehead.  
  
"Enough chit-chat," Alpha said.  
  
"You're right, brother," Omega said. "I think it's time I remedy a mistake I made all those years ago. Your evil will not be allowed to exist on this peaceful planet."  
  
"This time, I won't lose," said Alpha. "The battle lines have been drawn. Let it begin." 


	13. Last Chance

"Chapter 13-Last Chance"  
  
Alpha and Omega stared each other down. The two brothers prepared to face-off in the battle that would determine the fate of Earth, the fate of Pokémon, and perhaps, the fate of everything. Alpha was extremely confident. Even though he had been beaten once before by his brother, he was sure this time would be different.  
  
"You may have the first move, brother," Alpha said.  
  
"What happens if Omega loses?" Misty asked.  
  
"We can't think about that, Misty," said Ash. "He will win. He has to."  
  
Instead of instantly attacking his brother, Omega simply walked up to Alpha, looking him straight in the face.  
  
"I'll give you one opportunity to surrender," Omega said. "You are my brother. I do not wish to fight you. Let's end this peacefully."  
  
Alpha rammed his fist into Omega, sending his brother flying backwards.  
  
"Should have made your move when you had the chance, brother," Alpha said. Omega climbed back to his feet, holding his stomach area slightly.  
  
"You asked for this," Omega said. He held up his arms, lifting his brother into the air with his mind. With a quick motion, he slammed Alpha hard into the ground below him.   
  
"Alright!" Tracey cheered.  
  
Alpha got back up, shaking it off. He said nothing, instead opting to blast a huge bolt of lightning at Omega. He held his hands out, trying to block the attack. The surging electricity pushed him backwards but Omega did not allow it to strike him before it fizzled out. When Omega looked up, he saw his brother flying towards him, and even before he had time to react, Alpha connected with a fiery punch right into Omega's jaw, sending Omega flying into the air. Omega corrected himself in the air and turned to face Alpha.  
  
"I see you're much stronger than before," Omega said.  
  
"Well, when you've bee locked away for millions of years, you've got plenty of time of your hands to plot revenge," Alpha said. "Now, think fast!"  
  
Alpha summoned black energy balls in his hand and rapidly fired them at his brother. Omega quickly dashed in the air from side to side, up and down, avoiding each and every one. Before he knew it, Alpha had already teleported behind him and smashed him from the back with his staff, sending Omega soaring into the ground.  
  
"Alpha's just too fast," Gary observed. Omega was beginning to wear down a bit. As he stood up, Alpha appeared before him, quickly grabbing him by the throat.  
  
"I know you're not this weak," Alpha said, holding Omega up high above his head. "Give me a real challenge!"  
  
"This can't be happening," Brock said.  
  
Alpha jumped into the air, continuing to strangle Omega by the neck.  
  
"Goodbye, brother," Alpha said. He sent a massive shock of energy throughout Omega's body. His brother screamed in agony as the energy coursed through every part of his body. Alpha then powerfully tossed Omega into the ground in front of Ash.  
  
"I guess your new hero was as useless as the last one," Alpha said. "It's over."  
  
Ash went to kneel down beside Omega.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"I'm too weak," Omega said. "I neglected to mention something. The last time my brother and I battled, before I defeated him, I was infected with a small amount of his dark energy. I tried to purge it from myself, but I was unable to. Over time it has slowly drained my powers. Being outside the GS Ball seemed to accelerate it further. I'm too weak to win."  
  
"But you've got to keep trying," Ash said. "You're then only one who can beat him. Can't you just destroy him?"  
  
"He's too powerful for that now."  
  
"There has to be a way. There's got to be something we can do."  
  
"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to save your planet. I'm sorry."  
  
Ash wrapped his hands around Omega's arm, trying to help him up. Suddenly, Ash began to glow. A yellow light began to emanate from his body.  
  
"What's happening to Ash?!" Misty exclaimed.  
  
"I-I don't know," Gary said, in total shock.  
  
The light around Ash began to glow and surround Omega as well.  
  
"I feel slightly re-energized," Omega said, "like I can fight some more. But how are you doing this?"  
  
"I don't know," Ash said. "Your body must be responding to something in me."  
  
"It must be the goodness in your heart," Omega said. "You are truly unlike any being I have ever met before."  
  
"What's going on?!" Alpha demanded. He rushed towards Omega to stop this from happening, but was repelled from the light surrounded them.  
  
"You humans are truly remarkable creatures," Omega said. "But, I don't know if I have enough of my strength back to defeat my brother."  
  
"Guys, get over here!" Ash yelled to his friends. Misty, Brock, Gary, Tracey, Pikachu, and Raitorb rushed over to Ash and Omega.  
  
"He needs out help," Ash explained. "Place your hands on and give him your strength. Reach deep into your hearts. Give him the power to win!"  
  
Misty and Brock joined Ash by holding Omega's right arm and Gary and Tracey placed their hands on Omega's left. Together, they helped him to his feat as the light began to glow brighter and flash multiple colors.  
  
"Pikachu, Raitorb, you too," Ash said. "Maybe Pokémon have the power inside as well. Omega needs all the strength he can possibly handle."  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu said. Pikachu hopped up onto Omega's shoulder and Ash picked up Raitorb and helped him hold onto Omega as well. Ash looked up to see Mewtwo, who had now regained some strength of his own, coming to join them as well.  
  
"Need a hand?" Mewtwo asked.  
  
"No, stop!" Alpha shouted.  
  
"We will not let you win, Alpha!" Ash yelled. "This is our world, and you do not belong here!"  
  
The light around Omega dissipated and they all let him go. Omega began to grow in size, and his body armor began to grow larger. He summoned a large staff, similar to Alpha's but different in color, to his right hand. Alpha charged him, but Omega put forth his hand, sending Alpha backward into the dirt.  
  
"Your reign of evil will now no longer exist in this universe," Omega said. "You may have created the Pokémon on this planet, but they are no longer yours. They have the right to be free and live their lives in peace, just like the humans. You have no authority to take that right away. And now, you will pay for your misguided ways." Omega pointed his staff directly at Alpha. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, but you've left me no choice. Goodbye, brother."  
  
"No!!!" Alpha shouted. Omega powered up is staff as Alpha scrambled to his feet. Before he could get anywhere, Omega let loose with a powerful blast of energy, engulfing Alpha completely. He screamed in pain as his body began to slowly disappear. Omega closed his eyes as the last of his brother disappeared from sight. He was gone, forever.  
  
"It is done," Omega said. 


	14. Closure

"Chapter 14-Closure"  
  
The sun shone through the clouds for the first time that day. Ash looked up into the sky and smiled. Misty gave him a big hug and Pikachu jumped up onto Ash's shoulder once more.  
  
"Thank you," Ash said to Omega.  
  
"No thanks is needed," Omega said. "I only did what I thought was right."  
  
"That's all anyone can do," said Ash. "We all have to make decisions about what we think is right or wrong, and let us be judged accordingly."  
  
"I only wish my brother hadn't chose the side of evil."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by the cries of Ho-oh, Lugia, and Rayqauza rising into the sky to return to where they had come from.  
  
"Thank you," said their voices, echoing down from the clouds. They all watched as the three Legendary Pokémon disappeared into the horizon.  
  
"So what's next for you, Omega?" Misty asked.  
  
"I think I'm going to explore the universe," he said. "There's a lot out there out there I haven't seen. There's a lot of mysteries in life that I want find out the answers to. But, there's something I must do before I go."  
  
"What's that?" Brock asked. Omega walked up to face Mewtwo and put his hand on Mewtwo's shoulder.  
  
"Mewtwo," he said. "You are the most powerful Pokémon on this planet. You fought bravely today, and I appreciate all you have done for this world and its inhabitants. I am charging you with defense of this planet. Should anything arise to threaten it, I know you will be there to meet it with the determination and strength you showed today. That is, if you accept."  
  
"It would be an honor," Mewtwo said. "I have spent my life searching for a purpose. I'm glad you have helped to show me mine."  
  
"Goodbye, my friends," Omega said, rising into the sky. "I will not forget you."  
  
'Goodbye, Omega!" Ash shouted. "You'll always be in our hearts!"  
  
"And you in mine," Omega replied. The others shouted goodbyes and waved to their new friend. Omega transformed himself into a ball of light, and with that, disappeared from sight.  
  
"Well, that was quite a day," Gary said.  
  
"Yeah, wait until the Professor hears about this one," Tracey said with a laugh.  
  
"I know," Ash said. "I'm glad we all were here to go through this together. I couldn't ask for a better group of friends. Including, a new one."  
  
"You mean me?" Raitorb asked.  
  
"Of course I mean you!" Ash said, picking up his new Poké-friend. "Welcome to the group."  
  
"Thanks," Raitorb said.  
  
"Come on," Ash said to them all. "Let's go home."  
  
"Not so fast, twerps!" a voice shouted from behind. They all turned around to see who it was.  
  
"Is there time left for a cameo from everybody's favorite team?" Jessie, James, and Meowth asked.  
  
"No!" Ash, Misty, Brock, Gary, and Tracey shouted back.  
  
"Then I guess Team Rocket's sulking off again," they said, turning around and walking away.  
  
Ash shook his head and smiled, as he and his friends all turned to head back to the long road to Pallet Town, with a new friend, some good memories, and a little more understanding about life.  
  
The End. 


End file.
